Matt Hancock reveals Cabinet's secret succession plan if Boris Johnson had died ... trends now
A secret 'worst-case scenario' plan was drawn up by the Cabinet to replace Boris Johnson if he died of Covid in early 2020, Matt Hancock has revealed.
Senior ministers would have voted on a successor, informed the Queen and 'rallied round' if the worst had happened, according to the former health secretary's pandemic diaries.
The Prime Minister later admitted how close he had come to death after contracting Covid, saying he was given 'litres and litres' of emergency oxygen as he struggled to breathe in intensive care. He revealed doctors had made preparations for his death.
Writing in his searing new diaries, the former health secretary said that in the case of Mr Johnson's death, the nation 'couldn't possibly' have a normal Conservative Party leadership election, which typically takes months, and that the new leader would therefore have been picked in a 'quick decision' by the 20-odd people around the Cabinet table.
A secret 'worst-case scenario' plan was drawn up by the Cabinet to replace Boris Johnson if he died of Covid in early 2020, Matt Hancock has revealed
Senior ministers would have voted on a successor, informed the Queen and 'rallied round' if the worst had happened, according to the former health secretary's pandemic diaries
Mr Johnson's admission to the intensive care unit of St Thomas' Hospital, in London, 'stunned' everyone in Government, Mr Hancock said.
Ministers were told there was a 50 per cent chance he would need a ventilator, and that at the time in April 2020, half of patients requiring ventilators died.
The rapid decline in the former prime minister's condition also sparked a response from pharmaceutical companies all over the world, which inundated Mr Hancock's office in the Department of Health with offers for experimental drugs.
The drama began on March 27 when Mr Johnson tested positive for Covid, shortly after the UK was plunged into lockdown.
He was the first world leader to announce he had the virus, and was one of a number of high-profile figures including Professor Chris Whitty to test positive on the same
